United nations: Iraq's four presidencies have reached a consensus on combating corruption and fostering a competitive economy as a strategy to ensure a decent life for all its citizens, according to Abdullah Al-Dardari, the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Arab States.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Al-Dardari shared insights during a roundtable discussion with various media outlets, highlighting his recent visit to Iraq where he met with the four presidencies and several ministers. He remarked, "During my visit to Iraq, I had the honor of meeting with the four presidencies and a number of ministers," indicating a strong interest from Iraqi leadership in the potential contributions of the United Nations program.

Al-Dardari reported, "I heard comprehensive and aligned visions among the four presidencies regarding the necessity of transitioning to a strong, competitive Iraq that guarantees a decent life for all citizens and public services." He emphasized the importance of moving away from an economy based solely on rent-seeking towards one that thrives on competitiveness, addressing corruption, and reforming both the social protection and subsidy systems which currently do not meet the needs of citizens or public finances.

He further expressed his surprise at the depth of the vision and the political consensus among the four presidencies, noting their boldness in addressing these challenges. Al-Dardari concluded by recognizing the courage required from any government undertaking the simultaneous challenges of corruption, subsidy reform, arms control, social protection management, and economic diversification, emphasizing that maintaining the status quo is not an option.